Hinged doors for wall-cupboards and the like



Dec. 7, 1965 M. H. J. LAMBERT 3,221,303

HINGED DOORS FOR WALL-CUPBOARDS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.29, 1962 Ja um lamlei m M E V m #w Mfl MM C H M V: .B

Dec. 7, 1965 3,221,803

HINGED DOORS FOR WALL-CUPBOARDS AND THE LIKE M. H. J. LAMBERT 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29. 1962 ZNVENTDP. MA ec, HENRI. 740911155LAMBERT By Mai mad Mix United States Patent 3,221,803 HINGED DOORS FORWALL-CUPBOARDS AND THE LIKE Marc Henri Jacques Lambert, Sevres, France,assignor of fifty percent to Bernard Louis Jean Liegeon, Champagnole,France Filed Oct. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 233,720 Claims priority,application France, Oct. 28, 1961, 877,350 Claims. (Cl. 160206) Thepresent invention relates to doors in general and refers moreparticularly to doors for wall-cupboards which are of the typecomprising two panels hingedly interconnected along their adjacent edgesand adapted, in their open position, to be folded back completely andparallel to each other near one of the inner walls of the wall-cupboard,the first panel of the pair, that is the one nearest to the wall againstwhich the panels are stowed, comprising along each one of its verticaledges a first guiding device co-acting with guide tracks formed in orcarried by the corresponding parallel walls of the wall-cupboard, and asecond guiding device movable in relation to a fixed point of saidwalls.

A door of this type has already been disclosed in US. Patent No.3,075,819 in the name of Messrs. Bernard Louis Jean Liegeon and MarcHenri Jacques Lambert for Hinged Doors for Wall-Cupboards and the Like.

The invention relates to an improvement in such doors and moreparticularly to a return and balance device for assisting the dooropening movement. This return and balance device is characterized inthat it comprises one and preferably two arms pivotally mounted at oneend on said door, on the lower portion thereof, and at the other endabout fixed points of said cupboard, said arms being biased in rotationand urging the panels towards their opening position against the forceof gravity.

The aforesaid arm or arms are solid in rotation with a shaft journalledin bearings provided on the walls of said cupboard parallel to the planeof the cupboard open ings. Said shaft is preferably a torsion barattached at selected locations upon one of the walls of said cupboard.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as thefollowing description proceeds with reference to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating diagrammatically by way of example a typical formof embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in cross sectional view a wallcupboard or likestructure equipped with a door constructed according to the teachings ofthis invention and shown in its semi open condition.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section similar to FIGURE 1 showing the door in itsopen condition.

FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6 show diagrammatically different embodiments of thereturn and balance device according to the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a partially broken away view of the wall cupboard, showingthe location of the torsion bar illustrated in FIGURE 4.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a parallepipedicwall-cupboard comprising a bottom 2, a top or ceiling 3, a bottom orfloor 4, and side walls 5.

This wall-cupboard is closed by a door 7 comprising two panels 8, 9hingedly interconnected along their adjacent edges by one or more hinges10.

The first panel 8 comprises in the vicinity of the hinge 10 a guidingdevice 11 which comprises in the example illustrated, two pinions orshoes each mounted on a common shaft 14 journalled in bearings carriedby the panel 8.

These pinions project from each side of the panel 8 and engageguide-tracks 18 formed in the corresponding walls 5 of the cupboard.

3,221,803 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 The panel 8 is also provided along itsedges 16 with another guiding device consisting of two slideways orgrooves 23, adapted to slide about pins 24, secured on each wall 5, ofthe wall-cupboard at the intersection of the two planes occupied by thepanel 8 in the closed and open positions, respectively.

The return and balance means comprise an arm 90 pivoted at 100 on panel9 at the lower end thereof and at 101 on the bottom 2 of the cupboard or(if desired) on the lateral wall 5. In FIGURE 1, there is shown only onearm 90 but the return and balance means generally comprise twosymmetrically disposed arms provided on panel 9 in the vicinity of eachlateral side thereof. These two arms are solid with a common shaft andare solicited in rotation by biasing means urging them towards theirupward position corresponding to the open condition of the door.

FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6 show different embodiments of the return andbalance means.

In FIGURE 3 the arms 90 are secured on the ends of a shaft 40 journalledin bearings 41, 42 provided on the lateral walls of the cupboard. Twohelical springs 42 coiled in reverse directions about the shaft 40 aresecured by one of their ends on the bottom wall 2 of the cupboard, at44; their opposite ends 45 engaging or being solid with the arms 90.

It is evident for any person conversant with the art, that when the arms90 are in their downward position (corresponding to the closed conditionof the door), the two springs 43 are under tension to urge the arms 99towards their upward position (corresponding to the open condition ofthe door, see FIGURE 2).

In the example of FIGURE 4, the shaft connecting the arms 90 is atorsion bar 50, journalled at both ends in bearings 51, 52 provided onthe lateral walls 5 of the cupboard. The torsion bar 50 is solid at 53with the bottom wall 2 of the cupboard, so that this bar 50 acts as areturn means urging the arms 90 towards their upward position.

The example of FIGURE 5, differs from the one shown in FIGURE 4 in thatthe arms 90 consist of a portion of a torsion bar 60. The torsion bar60, which is pivotally mounted in bearings 61, 62, is solid at 63 withthe bottom wall 2. The torsion bar is bent at 64, 65 and its free endsconstitute the above mentioned arms 90.

In the example of FIGURE 6, according to a modified embodiment, twotorsion bars 70, 71 are used; each of these bars is bent at one of itsends, respectively at 74 and 77.

These two torsion bars are symmetrically located at each lateral side ofthe cupboard. By its end 72, bar is secured in a wall of the cupboardand said bar 70 is pivotally mounted in a bearing 73 near its bentportion 74. The end 75 of bar 71 is secured on a wall of the cupboardand said bar 71 is pivotally mounted in a bearing 76 near the bentportion 77 thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A cupboard comprising two lateral parallel walls, an upper wall and alower wall, a door for closing said cupboard, said door being formed oftwo panels hingedly interconnected along their adjacent edges andadapted, in their open position, to be folded back parallel to andagainst each other along said upper wall of said cupboard, the first ofsaid panels, that is the one nearest to said upper wall against which itis to be stowed, comprising on each of its lateral edges perpendicularto said hinge means a first guiding device, said first guiding deviceco-acting with plain guide tracks provided on said lateral parallelwalls, said first panel comprising also a second guiding device movablein relation to a fixed point on said parallel walls, said second panelcomprising also a guiding, balancing and lifting device consisting of atorsion bar means fixedly secured by at least one point thereof to saidcupboard, substantially parallel to the plane of the door opening, andhaving a pair of ends rotatably journalled in bearings provided at bothlateral sides of said cupboard, and a pair of substantiallysymmetrically disposed arms pivotally mounted at one end on the lowerpart of said second panel and rigidly secured at their other end to saidtorsion bar means.

2. A cupboard as claimed in claim '1, wherein said torsion bar meansconsists of one single torsion bar secured by one point thereof to saidcupboard.

3. A cupboard as claimed in claim 2, wherein said arms are respectivelybuilt and fixedly secured to said torsion bar.

4. A cupboard as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tor sion bar is formedat each end with a bent portion forming one of said arms.

5. A cupboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein said torsion bar meansconsist of two torsion bars substantially parallel to each other,rigidly secured at one of their ends to said cupboard and bent at theiropposite ends to form an arm-like portion, the two arm-like portionsconstituting said pair of arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,012,834 12/1911Fasselman 160-190 2,138,219 11/1938 Tabb 160--45 2,592,027 4/1952I-Iagerup 160--191 3,075,819 1/1963 Liegeon et al 312-271 3,085,622 4/1963 Burgin 160-191 FOREIGN PATENTS 899,461 12/ 1953 Germany.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner.

1. A CUPBOARD COMPRISING TWO LATERAL PARALLEL WALLS, AN UPPER WALL AND ALOWER WALL, A DOOR FOR CLOSING SAID CUPBOARD, SAID DOOR BEING FORMED OFTWO PANELS HINGEDLY INTERCONNECTED ALONG THEIR ADJACENT EDGES ANDADAPTED, IN THEIR OPEN POSITION, TO BE FOLDED BACK PARALLEL TO ANDAGAINST EACH OTHER ALONG SAID UPPER WALL OF SAID CUPBOARD, THE FIRST OFSAID PANELS, THAT IS THE ONE NEAREST TO SAID UPPER WALL AGAINST WHICH ITIS TO BE STOWED, COMPRISIGN ON EACH OF ITS LATERAL EDGES PERPENDICULARTO SAID HINGE MEANS A FIRST GUIDING DEVICE, SAID FIRST GUIDING DEVICECO-ACTING WITH PLAIN GUIDE TRACKS PROVIDING ON SAID LATERAL PARALLELWALLS, SAID FIRST PANEL COMPRISING ALSO A SECOND GUIDING DEVICE MOVABLEIN RELATION TO A FIXED POINT ON SAID PARALLEL WALLS, SAID SECOND PANELCOMPRISING ALSO A GUIDING, BALANCING AND LIFTING DEVICE CONSISTING OF ATORSION BAR MEANS FIXEDLY SECURED BY AT LEAST ONE POINT THEREOF TO SAIDCUPBOARD, SUBSTANTIALLY PARLLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE DOOR OPENING, ANDHAVING A PAIR OF ENDS ROTATABLY JOURNALLED IN BEARINGS PROVIDED AT BOTHLATERAL SIDES OF SAID CUPBOARD, AND A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLYSYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED ARMS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END ON THE LOWERPART OF SAID SECOND PANEL AND RIGIDLY SECURED AT THEIR OTHER END TO SAIDTORSION BAR MEANS.